Omo National Park

[LP305]

I travelled to southern Ethiopia with Champaca Journeys a few weeks ago and saw a few nice specimens of Hypheane compressa. No other palms spotted.

[Fusca]

Nice habitat pics, thanks for posting!

[Austinpalm]

Great pix!  Thanks for sharing.  Do you have any idea how old the multi-branched Hyphaene thebaica were/are?  Also, what is the shrub/bush near you in picture before the crocodile? Thanks!

[LP305]

I have no idea how old that Hyphaene is. I do  know that the one at Fairchild Tropical Garden was planted in the 30's by David Fairchild and is smaller than this one. (Recently, it had to be relocated due to construction.) 

The desert rose was taken outside of Omo National Park. They are sporadically spotted from the roads. They are a different species from the ones that grow in Socotra. 

[Austinpalm]

Thanks for the response.  Was wondering if what you are calling a desert rose was some sort of Calotropis species.  Interesting about the Hyphaene.  They are not the fastest growers.

[GMann]

Beautiful

[Meangreen94z]

Great pictures, thanks 

[ASHCVS]

Fantastic photos!!

[Dypsisdean]

Thanks Laz - great photos.

[cocoforcoconuts]

On 2/20/2023 at 10:31 AM, LP305 said:

I travelled to southern Ethiopia with Champaca Journeys a few weeks ago and saw a few nice specimens of Hypheane compressa. No other palms spotted.

That croc! What a majestic beauty!

[iko.]

23 hours ago, Austinpalm said:

Thanks for the response.  Was wondering if what you are calling a desert rose was some sort of Calotropis species.  Interesting about the Hyphaene.  They are not the fastest growers.

Not my thread but, I think is Calotropis procera. It’s almost omnipresent in north and central Africa.

[LP305]

23 hours ago, Austinpalm said:

Thanks for the response.  Was wondering if what you are calling a desert rose was some sort of Calotropis species.  Interesting about the Hyphaene.  They are not the fastest growers.

Even though we saw plenty of Calotropis, the plant pictured with the flowers is in the genus Adenium.

[LP305]

23 hours ago, Austinpalm said:

Thanks for the response.  Was wondering if what you are calling a desert rose was some sort of Calotropis species.  Interesting about the Hyphaene.  They are not the fastest growers.

But wait... Yes... The bushes without flowers in the other picture IS a Calotropis. I hear that it is very toxic, yet the guide told us that Colobus monkeys will come down from the trees sometimes to eat it. The seed pods (fruits) are rather large, and it is a mystery as to what disperses them.